Thanks for clearing it up Genghis, of course, as usual, i forgot about EAS.
Nice summary Pilot DAR. Yes, sometimes things are not as clear as one thinks initially, i guess it is a good habit to keep an open mind and try to never stop learning about flying and probably the rest of it all as well.
Anyway, lately flew an aircraft where the VNE was not limited by any direct structual limit but rather by the maximum deploy speed of the parachute system. So called Ultra Lights over here (ULs can weigh up to 472kgs) have to have a parachute system for the whole aircraft and that quite often defines the VNE as structually much more is possible and indeed certified in other countries without that restriction.